Lens attachments: a cheap alternative to pricey DSLR lenses

If you own a DSLR, then you probably have a good idea of just how expensive lenses can be. A straightforward 18-55mm “kit” lens retails for around $100, and the fancier, crisper 50mm f/1.4 portrait lens can cost upwards of $200. So unless you’re well off financially, you’ll find that acquiring various lenses can take a bit of time — and a significant amount of money.

I highly recommend investing in a few “standard” lenses. Get one for portraits, one for everyday shooting (action photos, photos of the kids, pets, whatever), and get a decent portrait one. The 50mm f/1.4 is an amazing portrait lens, but if you want something that is almost as good, without the high price tag, take a step down to the 50mm f/18.

But what about macro shots and long distance (telephoto) shots? They’re interesting, unique and fun, and they provide new perspectives and viewpoints of everyday objects and scenery, but how often are you taking those kinds of shots? If the answer is anything less than “all of the time” or even “often”, save your money on costly macro and telephoto lenses, and opt for lens attachments instead.

What are lens attachments? They’re spiffy filters that screw onto the end of regular lenses. There are macro filters, fish-eye filters and telephoto lens attachments, just to name a few. They provide the “close up” or the “telephoto” experience, while using your regular lens to compose the majority of the shot. The attachment simply provides the required angle, or viewpoint. They’re not nearly as expensive as regular specialty lenses. Take the Nikon 60mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor lens, for example: nearly $500! Then there’s the Opteka 10x Professional Macro Lens. Sacrifice a bit of quality (not noticeable unless you’re printing very large photos) for a savings of $450!

I can tell you from personal experience that lens attachments work perfectly. They may be slightly less convenient, since you have to configure both a lens and the attachment. But I’m pretty sure most people can agree that a slight inconvenience is worth a significant savings.

Filed Under: Accessories